Various methods and means have been used in the past for fastening a coil module onto a leg portion of a flux carrying armature or core.
In one such method, the coil module is bonded onto the core leg by using an epoxy resin bonding agent. The major drawback of this technique is that it does not lend itself to automated processing and the application of the epoxy for effective bonding is time consuming.
Other methods have involved the use of metallic mounting clips especially adapted to be affixed to the core at their inner ends and with an angle or bend at their outer ends to capture and hold the module in fixed position on the core leg. Among the drawbacks of using these metal clips, is that they tend to absorb some of the electromagnetic energy generated in the coil and reduce the kilovolt output of the ignition coil. Moreover, such clips must be fastened to the core and to the module and thus they are not readily adaptable to automated assembly techniques.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,903, issued to the same assignee as the instant application, discloses a resiliently flexible synthetic plastic retaining pin. The drawback of this type of retaining pin 14 is that the metal core lamination 10 tends to shave-off one side of the retaining pin as it is driven into the recess 22 whereby its holding power, achieved by compress of the pin, is substantially diminished.
The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved and highly effective means for fastening a coil module to a flux carrying core which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.
Another object of this invention is to provide means for fastening a coil module to a flux core which is adaptable to automated assembly techniques.
A further object of this invention is to provide a fastener of the above type which also acts to dampen vibrations in the core portion on which the module is mounted.